TRAIL OF TEARS (Eng.)
– Hello Ronny and first of all, thanks for taking the time. How is everything doing right now with TRAIL OF TEARS?
Hey Tania! My pleasure, things are alright here. I`m in the middle of doing interviews and promo so pretty busy!
– I guess some people won’t know yet about all that happened through your Facebook page so, would you mind to update them a bit?
To keep a long and complicated story short, what happened was that our female singer went behind the backs of the rest of the band and published an untrueful statement on the band`s Facebook page saying that I had left the band. A good old fashioned public meltdown you could say. This was a real shock for me of course, as I never made such a thing public and never intended to. The deal we all had was that we were going to release the album and then disband the group entirely because it was no longer possible to cooperate on basic things. So when she posted that statement I had to go out in public as well to deny these ridiculous claims and as soon as I did I was followed by our bassist and drummer. The whole thing is sad and this should never have reached the public space but there is no way that I would allow someone to verbally piss all over me in public and spread lies so I had no other choice than to go out and defend myself.
– And right now how’s the sitation of the band? WIll you start looking for new members or will you take some time off?
The situation is that Trail of Tears no longer exists. I understood the minute that she posted her statement that this band could no longer be saved and since I started the band and hold the rights to it, I have decided to put it to rest and Oscillation will be our farewell gift to the fans.
– You have just released your new album, «Oscillation» and, according to Cathrine things weren’t really OK while recording the album so, was it easy to do the whole process with the rest of the band in that hard situation?
That`s an understatement to say the least. The whole process was extremely hard but I wanted to see it through for our fans who had been waiting patiently for a new album and there were also quite some money involved so we needed to see the whole thing through. If it hadn`t been for our bassist Endre then I honestly don`t know if I would have made it out in one piece.
– As I said, this new opus has just hit the streets. How is its feedback being so far (both from the fans and press)? And are you satisfied with the final outcome?
The feedback has been way above my expectations. I consider it a miracle that we managed to complete and release the album at all so it is just a huge relief to have made it through. Having in mind the difficult surroundings while making it, I`m very satisfied and content with the album. It`s a worthy part of our discography but the album is for me too difficult and painful to listen to at the moment but I recognise the quality involved and that is the most important thing. Reactions are generally very good both from media and fans, with the odd whining from certain people, just as it has been since the first album 15 years agoJ you can`t satisfy the whole world and we never tried to.
– As always, «Oscillation» is a really melancholic album, really dark in regard of emotions. Is each album you release a reflection of a certain moment in your life?
I wouldn`t say a reflection of a certain moment in life, but rather life in general. I think each album has been representative of where we are in life at that spesific time and it is no different this time around. When that is said, you are absolutely right that this album is melancholic, perhaps more so than ever before and that is of course a natural concequence of the things that led up to all these things I mentioned earlier. Life deals you a different deck of cards as you go through it and it`s up to you how you want to play them.
– Apart from the music, you express that dark emotions really good with your lyrics as well. As you are the responsible for them, could you please tell us where do you draw inspiration from to create them and what are some of the ideas inspired certain songs on «Oscillation»?
Again, for me it is the little things you encounter on a day to day basis of your everyday life. It could be a news story, a reaction you get from someone or just a facial expression of someone waiting for the bus or standing in line at the local supermarked. You can go about your daily life and not even think about it and then something catches your attention and strikes a nerve in you that makes you want to put that feeling into music or down on a piece of paper in the form of lyrics.
– On songwriting terms I’ve noticed a certain improvement providing more well-developed and well-thought compositions and structures. Did the songwriting process change or did you just take a different approach?
I think this is an individual interpretation and a matter of personal taste, I also heard the exact opposite of what you just said so I guess it depends on who you askJ I feel that we approached this album the same way we always do, with the goal of writing the best songs possible and to make the best album that we possibly can, it`s as simple or as complicated as that. We focus a lot on adding enough diversity to the end result so that the album stays interesting all the way through. I think it`s this diversity and the fact that the album holds so many contrasts that makes our music sound more thought-through compared to many other bands who concentrate more on one thing which can make things sound more simple or easy.
– Talking about such, is something you strive for not releasing the same album twice and always keeping things fresh still sounding like TRAIL OF TEARS?
I think that is a good observation. I mean, we have been doing this for so many years now that we know what works and we know what Trail of Tears is all about, or should be about. It`s very important to stay true to the roots of the band and the core sound but equally important to expand on the general sound of the band. This is all a natural process for me because even if I have and always have had a strong vision for how I want this band to sound like, it is obvious that I don`t think the same way as I did when we released the first album. For me it would be a very alarming and dangerous sign if I still had the same mind set as I did when I was 15 years old.
– Again about the structures and compositions, this time around there are really catchy moments, even happier sounds or danceable paces, which creates a nice contrast with your lyrics. Is this equilibrium something you aim for or do you just let things flow naturally?
It is perhaps a combination. As I said, you develop as a person and musician as you grew older even though you still know what the band should be about. I strongly feel that Trail of Tears has always had a red line musically that has followed us through our career even though each album has been different from the last. Contrasts, diversity and balance are keywords to describe our history, we want to show different sides to ourselves through our music because that is how we are as people. And that is why you will find more poppy things on this album along with some of the most extreme stuff we have ever written.
– I also think guitars sound heavier and thicker, which fits with the bass, as it seems it now plays a bigger role being more audible. Was this something you really wanted to get or is it just my perception?
We always try to achieve a production that captures the needs of the music. This is always a challenge because our music has so many different layers and faces and there are a lot of things to fit in. Sometimes you are faced with difficulties concerning this and there are times where I have really envied bands who have a more stripped down, basic sound simply because it`s easier to produce. But overall I`m happy with the production this time.
– All this being said, I think «Oscillation» is your best opus to date but, how do you feel about it?
As I said, content and satisfied. I think we really outdid ourselves especially concerning the difficulties surrounding the process. As always, I never rate or compare our albums to each other as in which one is the best, that is best left to the listeners.
– And how could you describe this new release in just 3 words?
Cold, dark and melancholic.
– Finally, what’s next for TRAIL OF TEARS? As I guess now the band’s future looks somehow uncertain.
There is no uncertainty any more, Trail of Tears is now a closed chapter. I cherish the good memories and we go out on a high note. It`s been a fantastic ride!
– That has been everyting from my side, thank you once more for taking your time. If you now want to add any last words; feel free to do it.
Thanks to everyone for your support during 17 amazing years, enjoy this last chapter! As for myself I`m about to launch my new band Viper Solfa so keep your eyes and ears open for some really exiting news coming soon! Cheers!
